


Game

by Amalspach



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: College AU, ha, so this is a thing, why am I doing this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-20
Updated: 2018-06-20
Packaged: 2019-05-26 01:51:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14990174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amalspach/pseuds/Amalspach
Summary: Alix was pretty sure that divine intervention was messing with her when they made her apartment so tricky to lock and her next door neighbor Kim, who moved away three years ago. Either way, it sparked off a series of events that would rekindle their friendship and something more, provided they don't murder eachother first. A college AU oneshot.





	Game

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I clearly don't own Miraculous Ladybug. I wouldn't need to write fanfics if I did.
> 
> Also, I felt the need to start this for no reason. There is no point to this story - I just got the idea for a Alix/Kim fic and began typing it up. Sorry in advance if this is as terrible as it probably will be.
> 
> I tried to be funny.
> 
> I still don't know if I've succeeded or not. But anyways, here's a fluffy college AU I wrote because there's a surprising void of fics surrounding this couple. Have fun!

It was the first day of her second year of college and she was going to be late.

Cue panicking.

Alix was never late. Alix arrived earlier than the rest of the population so as to look like the responsible one. She had always been short and relatively flat chested and lived in a manor - she wanted to consistently prove to everyone that she was someone to be admired, someone that stood firm on their own two feet, someone who could handle being on her own and taking this scholarship.

Being late right now was not helping her case.

With a sigh, Alix grabbed the nearest things in her closet - a pair of camo jeans and a black t shirt - and threw them on. No showers today. No time for eating today, actually - if she didn't leave  _right now_  and ran to the bus station, she would miss the 10 o'clock ride and would be forced to take the 10:30 route, which could leave her with only five minutes to walk across campus to her class. That did not bode well with her perfect attendance record from last year.

So, silently cursing the heavens for causing her alarm clock to malfunction today, she slipped a banana into her pocket, hefted her school bag over her shoulder, and borderline sprinted out of the apartment . . . right before sprinting back in. Because, yeah, she kinda needed shoes. Oops.

Impatiently, she jiggled the door handle, trying to get her stupid room key to actually  _get in her uncooperative brat of a lock_  so she could secure her residence and get down to the station already. Her hands couldn't stay still long enough to actually jam it in, and Alix was acutely aware of the time she was wasting on this menial task. The lock didn't seem to understand her need for urgency.

After one minute went by, she was worried.

After two minutes went by, she was desperate.

After three minutes went by,  _still_  spent on getting her apartment to secure itself, she was not only worried and desperate - she was furious. This was  _not_  the time or place for interruptions. She had to leave imminently.

"GO IN THERE ALREADY!" she finally yelled, half tempted just to abandon her keys and start going. At this point, she was fairly certain all of her new neighbors could hear her, but it hardly mattered.

"Need any help?" came a groggy voice from next to her, and with a start, the annoyed girl banged her head against the walls and held out her keys without really looking up.

"I just moved in a couple days ago and my  _jerk_  of a door refuses to close. I'm going to be late to catch my bus, my classes are starting soon, and I  _refuse_  to have anything less than a pristine mark in this school after getting a full ride athletic scholarship, but this bloody doorknob is keeping me from that and I woke up not even five minutes ago. So if you would fix my problem, I will be very grateful," she groaned, glaring at the offending entrance.

Wordlessly, her sleepy new neighbor took the keys and gently inserted them in with a steady hand. With way more finesse than she would have thought possible, he - and it had to be a he, because no woman had hands that big - twisted the instrument and pulled them out cleanly. Alix stared at her keys in wonder.

"Yeah, I had a lot of trouble with them when I moved in a couple months ago. The locks are pretty old. I also got a sports scholarship, by the way." He extended an enormous hand, and from her vantage point below him on the floor, she realized she had to actually take the precious moments left to thank him for his service. The pink-haired girl turned around and stood up to take it.

"You've just saved my life. I'm - " Alix stopped in her tracks when she saw him, because this was Kim, the frenemy she had known all throughout high school in Paris.

Well, that is until senior year. His family moved to America right before he completed school.

And now they were both in New York on athletic scholarships.

It's rather funny how life works, isn't it?

"Wait, are you  _Alix_?" he repeated in utter wonderment, now that he was facing her directly. "I'm sorry, I knew I was sleepy, but you're not here. I haven't seen you in three years. There's no way you're my new roommate."

"Hall-mate, and apparently I am. Fate has a sense of humor after all," she responded dryly, though with a bit of a smirk, because this was  _Kim_. She knew Kim, and now that she knew it was him, she felt a little less guilty for waking him up moments ago and forcing him to lock up her apartment. Quite a big portion of her young life was spent making him uncomfortable and daring him to do an absurd amount of stupid things, so it was rather ironic that after so much time, they would fall back into the same pattern in a matter of seconds. "Thanks for helping. I owe you a coffee or something. And now I need to get to the bus station." She ran towards the stairs and began ascending, because this was sheer lunacy and the travesty with her keys only increased the chances of her missing her bus. He paused for a moment, not entirely sure if this was real or not, before racing after her.

"No, you are not escaping now, Al!" he called, already halfway down the stairs at the end of the hallway. "I haven't seen you in three years. Like hell are you going to class and just forgetting this ever happened!"

"It's kinda hard to forget when you closed my door and started following me," she called right back, adjusting her backpack strap and moving to the front door. "Unless you feel like riding the public transportation system to campus in your pajamas, I suggest you go back now!" Kim, still as challenging as ever, frowned and continued.

"Oh come on, it's New York, Alix! Stranger things have happened!" And thus, within the span of 10 minutes, Alix had unwittingly acquired a new appreciation for hotels with key-card scanners and a companion to endure the packed bus with. To be honest, if she hadn't been so worried about not missing the start of her classes, she would have been in just as much doubt and amazement as her tired accomplice Kim had been.

But she was.

So doubt and amazement would just have to hit her  _after_  she got back that afternoon.

Either way, it was an interesting morning, for sure.

* * *

_Wait, Kim is in New York. He's my new neighbor._

Though she had clearly witnessed this with her own two eyes earlier that day, the realization kicked her right in the face during lunch break.

Kim, who was mister let's-go-for-a-race, I-dare-you-to-blank, see-you-later-Alix, try-to-keep-up, and let-me-just-swoop-in-and-lock-your-door-like-a-magic-sprite. That Kim. He was her neighbor.

Wow. How times have changed.

After fully recovering from the borderline paralyzing shock that came from that revelation, Alix numbly stumbled through her final three classes of the day and walked home. No buses - being smushed against a wonder-struck Kim for 20 minutes on the way to school was interesting enough for one day, and being smushed against utter strangers just because it was quicker than taking sidewalks didn't hold much appeal either.

Walking it was.

However, as she got to her building and ascended a single flight of stairs to find her floor, she never expected that she would find  _him_  of all people, after their brief and somewhat awkward reintroduction earlier, to be waiting in front of her door. And he wasn't just waiting - he was waiting with a couple of take-out boxes and a tub of ice cream, which was beyond unexpected. It was borderline impossible, even more so than discovering he lived right next door.

"Why do you have strawberry ice cream and what I'm assuming is Chinese food?" she questioned suspiciously, crossing her arms. With a smile that looked a little too mischievous for her liking, he shifted the containers in his hands.

"This is a bribe," he declared, far too smug about his purchases. "Tell me what happened to you in the last few years and I'll surrender the goods." She snorted and blew a few strands of hair out of her face - she knew it was a bad idea to take out her ponytail. This always happened.

And on that note, yes, she sported a pink ponytail - not pigtails anymore. She realized, after growing her hair out for a couple years, that it was way easier just to pull up her locks into a single ponytail. Styling her mane suddenly became a thousand times easier in the mornings.

"Surrender? Although you've somehow remembered my love of take-out and strawberry ice cream - "

"Yeah, what was it with you and pink?"

" - that does not mean I am telling you my life story. I actually have some willpower against you, if you can believe that. This is bound to be a trap." Grunting slightly as she took off her heavy book-bag (she swore she didn't keep bricks in there, but after school, it always seemed to weigh more than her - good thing Alix was an athlete), the girl pulled her keys out of her pockets and attempted to jam them into her door.

The metal wouldn't slide in.

Why, universe, why?

"I will also throw in the offer to open your apartment. You know, out of the kindness of my heart," he added, and with a frustrated growl, she gave up her keys.

"Fine," she ceded, because she really wanted to change into some flannel drawstring pants and a baggy hoodie so she could finally relax and do her homework (And really, what academy actually gives you assignments on the first day back? Alix was sure the college was run by Satan.). Sadly, those things were in her closet, and that was behind this wall, so therein lied her problem. With the way things were going, she would get in - sometime tomorrow. That simply wouldn't do.

Also, she  _may_  have been more excited to see the food than she would have liked to admit. All she had eaten that day was her over ripe banana and a bagel at Starbucks for lunch. Chinese and ice cream would be  _amazing_  at the moment.

"'Fine', what, Alix?" Now he was just messing with her. He was messing with her because this was what they had always done, and why should a shocking meeting before 10 am change that?

"Fine, just come in, Kim. You know perfectly well what I meant," she replied hotly, and with another flourish, he twisted the key in the lock and the door popped open far too easily. That traitor.

"Always nice doing business with you, Al," he grinned triumphantly, following her in with food in hand. "I've missed my race partner." With a snort, the college student dove into her bedroom, changed, and emerged in the most baggy, unattractive relaxing clothes she had. Just for posterity.

"Yes, well, the pleasure's all mine. Now what did you want to know? The quicker I answer the quicker I can eat, finish work, and collapse on my couch."

"Everything. I want to know all about what happened to you while I was gone."

"Well, it's a bit a a hike. Do you really want to listen to the most boring, lengthy origin story ever?"

"I'll take my chances." And thus began two hours of explaining how she had, in essence, taken a gap year between high school and college to travel and ended up falling in love with New York. Alix applied to many facilities near New York City and ended up getting offered a full ride tuition for track, and given her love of racing and the opportunity to stay, she left France and made her home there.

Her first year had been on campus, but it was too expensive to be feasible (without tapping into her rich parents' money, and she wanted to be independent during college) for more than the required year (well, the scholarship covered most of it, but quite frankly the roommates were  _annoying_ ), so just before the summer ended, she moved into her new apartment there, rescheduled her classes, and worked out a bus schedule. That was everything in a nutshell: the illusive adventures of Alix Kubdel.

She thought his story was a lot more interesting; Kim's family had moved to New Jersey, then to New Hampshire, and from there Kim had decided to search for colleges out of state. He settled on a college in New York City and won some scholarship opportunities for - surprisingly - american football. Though he had never played it in France, he inadvertently ended up on the team for a season in Jersey, right before his family moved again. Since he, like Alix, loved to race, he was known for being quick on his feet, and as his bulky frame bode well for football, he became a quarterback. Luckily, this helped with tuition, and he had been in this apartment ever since he moved to the city.

Though they didn't go to the same school and he did a lot of online courses, it was remarkable how many similarities were in their stories. What were the odds?

Finally, he left, not bothering to collect the remaining ice cream - apparently he thought it had served its purpose.

"Goodnight, Alix," he finished, heading out the door. "See you around, alright?" She rolled her eyes in response, though not without fondness. Staying too upset was never her strong suit, and she had had . . . fun. She had fun.

"Like there's any chance of me not running into you after discovering we live next door. And I still owe you that cup of coffee for locking up my apartment."

"I will collect - local coffee places charge way too much for cappuccinos," he added.

"They know us lonely college kids will buy them," she responded with an arched eyebrow. "And they're right. We're all sucked into the system. It's not like unground coffee beans in a bag costs four dollars anyways."

"Not at all."

"Yup."

She had a feeling she'd be seeing Kim a lot after that.

* * *

Alix Kubdel wasn't actively looking out for her next door neighbor. It was just that he seemed to be absolutely  _everywhere_  she was for the next month, no matter what the occasion.

She had been walking to the movie theater a week ago when she had saw him come up from another direction and purchase tickets for the exact same film. At first she thought that he had been secretly following her, but since he looked completely surprised to see her as well, she assumed that the same fates that made them neighbors were continuing to draw amusement from their interactions, so the college girl shrugged it off and went into the theater with him. It just so happened that he had not only read all the books (which lead to a riveting discussion on the fact that he could actually read), he had seen all the previous movies and was incredibly invested in the saga, just like her.

Well. That was coincidental.

Not only that, but three days ago, Alix was at the supermarket at an absurdly late time (she was going to make hot chocolate but then discovered she was out of milk, and since everyone knows that the best hot chocolates require milk, she had to reluctantly leave her abode and trudge down the block to the nearest grocery store) when he rounded the next aisle, yawning and searching for baking soda (apparently he  _really_  wanted chocolate chip cookies, and instead of buying them at a local bakery or asking other people for a literal teaspoon of baking soda, he decided to drag himself down a flight of stairs and out to a store - and for that matter, Alix didn't know if she  _wanted_  to see what Kim trying to bake would look like, because she didn't fancy being next door to a oven fire in the making). After talking about how weird it was that this had happened again, she grabbed a carton and continued scouring the shop for baking soda. It took another half hour to find, and even then it was only located thanks to an employee (because really, it's stupid to put baking soda in a juice mix aisle - nobody on planet earth will  _ever_  go there first). However, she promised him her world famous hot chocolate and he promised her cookies that presumably wouldn't be lit on fire.

They weren't, but for a while she had her doubts.

That all didn't even begin to cover yesterday, when she got in line to cash a check at the bank and he was the person in front of her. After a painful hour of watching everyone do whatever boring deposits and credit card advances they had to get done, Kim was finally at the front, and despite having already endured the enormous line, he waited for her to get finished and they walked back home together.

Now some higher up forces were messing with her, because today really put the icing on the cake, even if she didn't mind his presence.

"You mean to tell me that you  _also_  have a gym membership here? Really?" she said, not so much bitter or skeptical as she was resigned. "Next we'll have to start organizing brunch dates and going clothes shopping together. Clearly we can't leave our respective apartments without ending up joined at the hip, anyways." He simply shrugged back helplessly.

"I swear I'm not following you, and you're obviously not following me, so I guess we were just destined to enjoy the perks of a monthly premium membership together," he replied. "Scholarship goons and stuff. Us athletic people end up sticking, I guess." With a roll of her eyes, she shoved him lightly and pulled off her jacket, which revealed a sports bra and the tops of her athletic shorts. He raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Nothing, you just work out in nothing but a bra." Alix scoffed and crossed her arms.

"Um, yeah. It's stupid to wear a shirt when its only going to get incredibly sweaty. I only put on the jacket so I won't get weird looks on the way down here." She climbed onto the nearest treadmill and began running. "It's perfectly normal."

"I think you would have gotten some strange looks anyways," he smirked, grabbing a few free weights to start with. "Girls and that athletic wear stuff, I swear. They're skin tight and only go down to your mid thigh. They're practically large swimsuit bottoms." She scowled rather phenomenally, because just like in high school, he was great at getting a rise out of her.

"They do not! They're made for exercise!"

"You realize that swimming is exercise, right?"

" _I'm not wearing a swimsuit_ , Kim. Lots of people dress like this," Alix huffed, face already full of red annoyance.

"Maybe those people are going to a pool. I'm just saying, you're no wearing as much as you think you are. I'm pretty confident that was could toss you on any beach in the world and nobody would bat an eye at what you're dressed in," he replied nonchalantly, and the college student's eyes narrowed.

"Beach people can be a bit crazy."

"Aren't we all? At least you look the part." He started  _whistling_ , honest to goodness  _whistling_ , like this conversation wasn't designed to shake things up, and that was really the final straw.

"Well I don't see anybody complaining about the view," she added snarkily before upping the speed and grabbing her phone out of her pocket. She began playing music as loudly as possible, and since the gym was practically deserted that day (thus the reason she always came on tuesdays, because nobody really wants to work out on a tuesday - it's like monday but more boring), nobody seemed to care. Except, of course, for Kim, who had miraculously turned a rather interesting shade of pink. It was immensely satisfying to one him up.

At the end of their hour spent exercising, she turned off her music, zipped up her jacket, and began walking back out of the building. As she did, Kim, who was determined to stay for at least an extra five minutes (he wanted to pretend he got more accomplished than her, but she graciously pretended she didn't realize it), called out to her, "Enjoy your swimsuit!"

Though she was half tempted to go backwards and poke his eyes out, she demonstrated her incredible restraint by smiling brightly and saying, "You act like  _you_  didn't enjoy it!"

"Oh, I did!" came the reply from the back of the building. She began laughing, because there was no way in hell that he meant it, and went on her way.

Though she couldn't see it, he watched her leave until she couldn't be seen anymore, running a hand through his hair.

After that, he always made a point to work out on tuesdays. You know, so he wouldn't be devastatingly bored.

* * *

It was literally one in the morning when her power went out.

Just  _her_ power, mind you, was temporarily disabled.

No one elses' apartments had electricity problems then, not even just her building or just her hall or even just her neighbor. The universe had plans specifically relating to messing up  _her_  night.

Joy.

Usually having the lights go out this early in the morning wouldn't have been a problem, but since Alix was determined to finish a term paper she'd forgotten about that was due the next day (or later that day, now that midnight had come and gone), she kinda needed to see what she was doing, and she absolutely refused to awkwardly hold her phone above her head as a lantern until it died.

No, she would have to ask for help.

"Kim," she hissed through the door. "Kim, you jerk, you better be up. I need help." Another earth shattering series of pounds on his door ensued. "Kim! Open your door this instant!" Rubbing his eyes, a tired athlete cracked open the doorway.

"Wha . . . what's going on, Al?" he asked, trying to hold back a yawn. "I'm sleeping."

"Not anymore, mister. I need to use your apartment to write out a paper that's due tomorrow because my lights are out. I have wasted twenty perfectly good dollars on a huge Starbucks coffee in order to stay awake and complete this thing, and I intend to stay lucid and finish this until it wears off." With a grunt, he threw open the door, and she got a full view of him for the first time.

Up until that point, she hadn't known he slept shirtless.

"Where's your shirt?" she questioned doubtfully, scanning him thoroughly.

"It's too restraining at night. I get all sweaty," he protested, because at this early in the morning, there's really no filter. You can only speak the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

"We wouldn't want you to be trapped in such a restricting article such as a t shirt, now would we?" she mocked, though really her cappuccino-addled mind was just trying to comprehend the new information. Alix had actually never seen him without a shirt on, which was surprising, as she essentially did everything with him.

"You act like you don't enjoy it," Kim responded slowly, a grin starting to appear on his sleepy face.

Dang it. He was starting to become aware. He was messing with her again.

"That's because I don't, Kim, so move aside and go back to bed. I'm just gonna camp out in your living room and start writing again." To her shock, he didn't actually just go and continue sleeping. He stayed up next to her, after brewing a pot of coffee, and helped her complete and edit the paper. It turned out that a fresh set of eyes really helped speed the process along.

The fact that he  _still_  didn't cover his chest didn't do anything to speed along the process either, but he insisted that it allowed him to focus, so she let it go.

The sake of his focus, and therefore her focus, depended on that, clearly.

* * *

After that, it always seemed like he made a concerted effort to not wear a shirt in her presence. She assumed it meant nothing, as it had to be just a cheap shot at getting her to admire his chest. Kim would just  _love_  it if she got worked up about the issue.

In retaliation, she did her best to ignore his shirtless-ness. Alix was far from impressed.

. . . Not to say that she didn't look, sometimes.

For scientific purposes, of course. And maybe curiosity.

She  _was_  female, after all.

* * *

Alix liked to believe that her and Kim had gotten a lot closer in the time they had become neighbors. From doing literally everything together - out of necessity, practicality, fun, or sheer dumb luck - to sharing possible futures to making come-ons she could only assume were jokes, he had quickly become one of her valued friends again, but now she had no qualms about admitting that she  _really_ wanted to kill him right now. Or, at the very least, maim him in a rather painful fashion and then torture him with fire.

And to think it had all started with a not-so-simple request.

She was reading a book when he started frantically knocking on her door.

"Al!" he hissed. "You have to save me!" With a sigh, she flipped a page.

"Come back later, Kim."

"It's important!" he protested.

"I'm busy. I want to actually enjoy my weekend without the pressures of school, thank you very much," she called back, not all that concerned. If he was serious, he would have tried to bribe her with something. For example, like before, when he brought over -

"I have a quart of strawberry ice cream," he told her in an all-too-serious tone, and she dropped the book and ran to the entrance. Okay, so maybe he did need help.

"What is it?" she mumbled, opening the door in one deft motion. "Is someone dead? Are you hurt? An old girlfriend is coming after you?" He frowned with worry and handed her the tub, as promised.

"No, I've just got this huge event I need to go to in a literal two hours and I don't know what to wear and I don't have a date and the world is ending," he deadpanned. Her eyes widened, because she knew exactly where this was going.

"I'm not going to some high class party or something right now. Just because I am your friend - "

"Probably best friend, at this point."

" - okay, best friend,  _does not_  mean that I am your go-to emergency date. Did you plan this out at all?" He shrugged helplessly, and so she groaned. "Right, of course not. Has  _anything_  changed since high school other than your need to make up compulsive dares?"

"I  _am_  more mature. I'm a self sufficient adult now and everything," he rebutted, trying to appear somewhat more prepared. He wasn't succeeding. "I just realized my college was having an important thing that I RSVPed for months ago and forgot about until I opened up my inbox an hour ago. And I can't go alone without looking like an idiot. So you're here and you're a girl."

"Brilliant observation," she told him wryly, clapping her hands (or at least trying to - they were kinda sorta freezing into oblivion since the carton was still in her arms). "I am, in fact, female. I have eyes and ears and a mouth, too, if you'd believe it. I also own these things called skates, and I've heard that the sky has been blue recently." He would have scoffed had he not wanted her on his side. However, he restrained himself and bowed his head.

This was when she finally appreciated the gravity of this situation. When  _Kim_ , the most competitive and stubborn person she knew (besides herself, naturally) extended the metaphorical olive branch (because really, not jumping at the chance to make a scathing, banter-inducing comment was his equivalent of peacekeeper), things were life-and-death.

And not  _just_  because she would murder him for this later.

"You owe me another tub. You're lucky I have this incredibly fancy Christmas party dress my mom sent over in my closet," she sighed, watching his face light up in relief. "I am staying for two hours, tops, because I have free time and I am not wasting my entire night at some college event."

"You have no idea how much this means to me, Al. You are a lifesaver," he breathed, grinning full force.

"Yes, well, I've got to get ready for some overrated scholarly ball now, so shoo. I have hair to style," she commented wryly, shoving him into the hall.

True to her word, she  _did_  make half an effort to get ready. In an hour, she curled her pink mane, something she never bothered doing because she honestly never had a reason to care (she had to look up tutorials on how to use her unopened curling iron, so that in and of itself was an accomplishment), dug a suitable pair of silver heels out of her closet (as she slipped them on Alix wondered why she didn't wear them more often; she was often referred to as the short one and heels made her feel taller, or at least average height), and wrangled her mother's dress out of a cardboard box she had stuffed in a corner.

The dress wasn't ugly or anything; Alix actually  _liked_  it, which was a definite first. She usually hated dresses simply because they were impractical and she never had a reason to put them on - who can run track when their legs are practically pasted together? The college student just never needed it until now.

The thing (and a dress this fancy had to have its own personality, so yes, a thing) was a huge sparkly emerald green gown that somehow fit Alix perfectly, which scared her a little considering her parents had guesstimated the size and shipped it overseas. From her limited knowledge of gowns, it wasn't really a mermaid dress, or a ballgown, but something in between, poofing out about mid-thigh. Though it was strapless, showing a bit more cleavage than she cared for, everything was tastefully done and not overly girly, which she greatly appreciated.

That and it was  _green_ , and seeing as she lived in green, black, and grey athletic wear throughout most of middle and high school, that was a definite plus.

So, after struggling into the giant emerald thing, she tugged on the heels and pulled on one of the two pairs of earrings she owned, which consisted of matching bland silver hoops. Readjusting everything once again and looking herself over in a mirror, she attempted to apply  _makeup_  (ah, the horrors). Mind you, mascara and some lip gloss was the extent of things she knew how to put on, but she figured it was the thought that counted.

After all that terror, she grabbed the longest, most simple, not-fancy black coat she owned and wrapped it furiously around herself, hoping anybody she knew wouldn't see the unsinkable Alix Kubdel decked out for some silly campus event. A silly campus event that she was only attending as a favor to  _him_.

My, how the mighty have fallen.

As an after sight before she walked out the door, she ran back in, snatched a plain black purse, and shoved her phone, bus pass, keys, and wallet into the pockets. This was bound to be a long, painful night.

It didn't exactly help matters that, when she knocked on Kim's door with a huff, he was only half dressed, having never been to any event that required fanciness. Black pants and shoes were on, and after exclaiming loudly that this wasn't supposed to be hard, she scoured his closet and tossed out a black overcoat and a green button up.

"Ta da, attire," she deadpanned, watching him put on the clothing anxiously. It would have been funny, had she not become so incredibly frustrated.

Alix was earning that ice cream.

And, after riding a cramped bus, walking another block in her high heels to get to the entrance, and finally arriving at the right room inside his college, she realized why this event was so high profile. It was an awards ceremony for students with 'exemplary academic potential' being inducted into the honors society, and a few senators from the school who used to participate were overseeing the gathering. Frankly, she had no idea Kim was eligible for honor roll - and neither did he, clearly - but now they were there and she was busy mingling after sitting through the most boring initiation ever.

Seriously, they had everyone stand around for  _an hour and forty three minutes_ (yes, she timed it to the minute out of spite) while they rattled off names and achievements, and Alix was so sick of the whole scene she wanted to stuff her head into the punch bowl. Luckily, they had champagne, and she was devoted to drinking as much as possible before they had to leave. It was the only way to regain her sanity, especially now that one of Kim's professors had cornered her while he went to the bathroom and was prattling on about his work ethics on the online course.

This, of course, brings us back to the present. Unfortunately.

She had been pretty good at feigning interest so far (she had a lot of practice at some of her father's business ventures at the Louvre), but there was only so much one could take. The white haired teacher before her who practically spat out every other word was trying her capacity for patience.

Alix was going to kill Kim the instant he got back.

" - and the centripetal force required to do that would be too great, right, my dear?" asked the old instructor, looking at Alix expectantly.

"Erm, yes, sir," she answered with a weak smile. Dang it.

Well, what do you know. You zone out for five seconds and you have no idea what this man has said anymore.

No wonder he took online classes.

"Exactly what I said! But the board thinks that it's too nebulous a concept to consider in practical . . . " The pink haired girl nodded, but she was already lost again. At least the champagne wasn't all bad.

Suddenly, an arm snaked around her waist, causing her to jump. Only one person at this stupid party would be brave enough to do that, so she swore that he was going to double-pay for it later.

"Oh, sorry to leave you alone, Al," he beamed, interrupting the ramblings of his teacher. "The room is absolutely packed - it took me forever and a day to get back here again. I think they're about to serve cake." The instructor perked up.

"Cake, you say? I'd better be off, then," he smiled through his pale grey mustache, and the college student was briefly reconsidering her plans to kill Kim. He may have just saved her from death via boredom.

Then she remembered he was the reason she was there in the first place, and then all her thoughts of mercy dissapeared.

"This was, quite possibly, the worst night of my life," she hissed at him. "There are only five minutes until I can leave, so unless any of your other teachers try to start a conversation with me over the history of modern science and theoretical theorems, I am out of here as soon as possible."

To her utter shock, the jerk began to laugh.

"I'm sorry, Al," he wheezed out, practically falling over, "But it's just - this is why I brought you with me. Thank  _god_  you hated this, too." He looked at her clear frown of disapproval and began to laugh again. "I just - let's go home. I don't even care about dancing and food and mingling. Let's just head back before we're cornered."

She quite liked that plan.

The crowded bus on the way back was, if possible, even worse than the one on the way there. Therefore, it was unbearably hot, and wearing a long black coat that covered everything save the bottom inch of her dress was incredibly uncomfortable. With a resigned sigh, she took off her beloved coat, which had been acting as a shield against attention for the remainder of the night. The minute she shed it, though, she wasn't dying of heat stroke and could breathe again, even if she looked like she jumped out of some sort of fairy princess book.

Also, she could have sworn that her priorly amused companion experienced a sharp intake of breath himself, but that was probably just her imagination.

When they finally reach their respective apartment doors, Alix snatched her keys out of her purse and was about to stuff them in the lock. Instead, he grabbed her hand and stopped her.

"Thanks for enduring the most incredibly painful ceremony ever with me. You're amazing." She allowed her lips to quirk up at the edges slightly, because he actually tried with her, and a thank you from Kim was rare for most people.

"It was awful, but I guess I got a couple glasses of decent champagne out of it," the college student shrugged, trying to keep this thing lighthearted so she could escape to her bed and finish her book as quickly as possible. Getting into some sort of arguing montage simply wouldn't do. "Night, Kim."

"Night, Alix," he said, moving away his hand. He looked her over one last time, almost in disbelief that she owned such a fancy dress. "By the way, you look amazing."

She absolutely hated herself for the butterflies that invaded her stomach after that statement.

"Whatever you say, Kim," the pink haired girl tried instead, finally wrangling her keys into position and trying to force them into the door.

They. Wouldn't. Go.

This was probably because her fingers were all sorts of shaky now, and therefore useless.

With a wide, knowing smile, he grabbed her keys and easily slipped them in, twisting open the lock.

"And I thought you could do this now," he grinned. "What gives?"

"My stupid hands," she mumbled with annoyance. "They shake sometimes when I get flustered or nervous or can't think straight. It's a dumb habit." The grin fell off his face and he stepped a little closer.

Alix blinked, because this conversation did a complete 360 degree turn from where it had been before.

"Did I make you flustered, Al?" he asked quietly, voice slightly lowered, almost as if he was scared of the answer. She didn't know what to do in this situation, so she opted for the truth on instinct.

"A little." Oh great, she was blushing. She never blushed.

At least he was, too. That made her feel a little better.

"Well, thanks for unlocking my door. Goodnight!" she squeaked out, silently noting the slur to her words. Okay, the flush she was sporting and the speech impairment were coming from the champagne. They had to be. There was no other rational explanation.

And even if there was, that one was completely absurd.

"Night," he finally responded, and she shut the door on possibly the most confusing situation she had ever been in, sinking against the wood to the floor.

She couldn't like Kim, because that was really, really stupid. That wasn't a good idea at all. In fact, it sounded like a way to torture herself with discomfort and nagging doubts.

And crushes? She wasn't a teenager anymore. Alix wasn't  _crushing_  on this infuriating neighbor that had become her 'rival' all throughout school. That was ridiculous.

Either way, reading her book proved impossible that night, that was for sure.

* * *

It's Halloween, and one of her friends on the track team (and yes, she has friends besides Kim, she's not a social outcast) is holding a party. Her name is Michelle, and she, being the nicest person out of all the runners, instantly volunteered her house as a place to host it.

So yeah, now she's there, dressed as a black cat (a silent wave to one of Paris' heroes; last she heard, he and Ladybug were engaged recently, but perhaps that was just gossip). It's not fancy or anything - it actually consists of some old dark dress hidden in the back of her closet she forgot she had, some knee high, heeled black boots that were worse for wear, fingerless black gloves, a beat up leather jacket, and some cheap cat ears she bought a week prior to the event at a supermarket.

Kim is dressed up as three hole punch Jim as a nod to the Office. Though she didn't plan it, all she can think is that now she's like Pam and he's like Jim, and that can really only be interpreted one way. In a backwards sort of fashion, they came matching.

Michelle never remembered to tell her friends on the track team that she was rich, and as a result, her home was a huge flat on the top of a building her father owned, which had a view encompassing the whole New York skyline. Though her family was more than stacked, it blew her away to think that the sweet, unassuming cocoa-skinned runner came home to a place like this every day. Heck, Alix's average sized apartment could probably fit into the living room without a problem.

After a while, though, she walked into the guest bedroom and looked at the view, wanting to get away from the crowd. The party was nice, Michelle was inviting, and the food and decorations were great, but she never felt like she could think in big masses like this.

"Mind if I sit with you?" came his voice, and she shook her head. Kim shrugged and sat next to her on the bed, taking it as approval. "Tired?"

"Nope, just wanted to be alone," she responded, still gazing at the window. "And from every angle in this place, you can see the whole city. It's nuts." He nodded.

"Makes our view completely obsolete."

"Naturally." A hushed quiet flew over the room as she stared at the street lights. Kim being Kim, he couldn't handle complete silence well. He liked having something to do, and sitting with Alix wasn't exactly the most stimulating. "What were you drinking?" She looked down at the plastic cup she was gripping, almost surprised it was there. She had forgotten it completely over the last few minutes.

"Uh, punch."

"I'll get you a new glass," he amended, standing up and snatching the empty container out of her hands. As he did, though, his foot got caught around the corner of the bedpost, and he knocked Alix and himself to the floor, landing on top of her.

As he began to get off of her, muttering a thousand 'I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry's, he paused, looking at a laughing Alix Kubdel. Her dress had ridden up, her jacket was slipping off her shoulders, and she was confident that her hair was an absolute disaster, but the mortal terror on his face was hilarious.

With a grin, he started laughing as well, and then he ran a hand through his hair.

"This is why I love you, Al," he breathed, and her brain went off the rails.

"Love?" she asked hesitantly, and suddenly all she could see was the fact that he was biting his lips.

" . . . yes," he responded, and before she really knew what she was doing, she was leaning in, about to kiss her annoying neighbor. He was looking at her in this way that was seriously making her insides melt, and the way his hand had crept up to cup her cheek wasn't helping. This was it. Something was actually going to happen between the boy she knew in high school and herself.

Then he started laughing again, and she remembered why this was a terrible plan.

"I'm sorry, I just . . . I just started to . . . " he wheezed out, and with a scowl, she shoved him away and threw her cup at him.

"You absolute jerk!" She shouted, crossing her arms and trying not to appear hurt. "I can't believe I almost  _kissed_  you. You're just as immature as you were back in middle school!" Though he tried (and failed) to kill his grin, he couldn't.

"I'm different, I swear. I just started thinking of how this one time, you dared me to - "

"Ughhhhghfhhghghgh," she groaned, genuinely annoyed. "What did I expect, for you to actually kiss me? I'm an idiot. I'm leaving." She got up and started walking for the door. He stopped her, starting to recover.

"Hey, I can take things seriously. I take you seriously."

"All we do is bicker like a bunch of five year olds!"

"I  _like_  bickering with you like a five year old," he protested, starting to frown. "It's what we do. We've always been like this."

"Exactly! Nothing's changed between now and school. We're still competitive morons who dance around problems. I still have to bail you out of things because you're irresponsible!" she snorted loudly, feeling her resentment tie a knot in her chest. "Like that college event, for example. You didn't even know what to wear without me to help you! God, Kim, you need to grow up!"

"I need to grow up?" he repeated incredulously. "You're just as inefficient, Al! Hell, half the time you can't even open your own door without my help. You would be just as lost without me!"

"No I wouldn't! I came here to prove myself, to show that I can get by on my own merits!" she shouted. "Unlike you, I didn't stop contacting everybody once I moved and tried to forget about us! Everybody there missed you and here you are, just as irresponsible!"

"Don't change the subject, because I never just ran away and forgot about everybody! I  _moved_ , Al, and I never knew what to say back. I  _won_  a scholarship that covers almost everything! That's pretty responsible to me!"

"To you!"

"Well to me, I'm absolutely fine on my own. At least I'm not entirely too stubborn and oblivious to realize anything! I never needed you all to make me feel complete or happy or something. I'm okay without any of you and I still am! I  _wanted_  you around but I didn't need you, and I really don't need you if you hate who I am all that much!" he screamed, chest heaving. Another uncomfortable silence stretched over the group and Alix slid a sleeve against her face. Funny, she hadn't realized she had started crying.

"Maybe I don't want you around, either," she said finally, walking out the door. This time, he didn't stop her, and she didn't attempt to hide the pain on her face.

Michelle noticed instantly.

"Are you alright, Alix? I don't think I've ever seen you cry before," Michelle prodded softly, her witch costume poofing out as if it, too, was concerned. Alix nodded and chuckled weakly.

"Yeah, just got into it with a friend. He's in the guest room. I'm just . . . I'm just gonna go home now." The track member frowned, but the pink haired girl waved her away. "Don't worry, M, I'll be fine. Thanks for inviting me."

"If you ever need anything, you know where I am."

"Will do." Alix left the party and rode the bus back by herself, eyes glazed over. When she finally reached her door, she pulled her keys out of her pocket and attempted to slide them into the lock.  _Hell, half the time you can't even open your own door without my help!_  echoed through her ears, and it stung because it was true. He knew her way too well.

After another ten minutes, she finally got it in, twisting it around until it opened on its own.

"Al," came a voice, and she knew that he must have left Michelle's place and caught the next bus to get back. But she never heard the end of that statement. She locked her apartment up from the inside and waiting in her bedroom, clutching a tub of ice cream from the freezer.

* * *

She almost considered going back to apologize, because in all honesty, they really did do everything together now. A week without hanging out with someone she may or may not like was a rather long week anyhow, and she hadn't meant a word of it. Kim was different from the teenager he had been in France - he had grown up and changed a lot. She  _knew_  he was different - she saw it in him daily.

So, nearing the end of that long week of stewing, she walked out her apartment door, prepared to knock.

He wasn't answering the door, even after three times.

"Open up, Kim!" she shouted, hoping he wasn't just ignoring her. "Come on, I don't want to have to sit out here all night."

Then she looked down the hall. From the top of the staircase she saw him, and she was relived that he hadn't shut her out purposefully.

"Kim, I - " she called, but then the words died in her throat. Next to him was some blonde in a black dress and stilettos, his hand around her waist.

So he had gone to pick up some random girl and was taking her back. Wonderful.

Not really caring if he had heard her or not at that point, Alix slunk back into her room, trying to tell herself that the way her eyes stung didn't mean anything. She was fine, she would be fine, and she didn't need one stupid athlete college guy named Kim, no matter how long her week had been. Clearly he hadn't needed her.

* * *

Alix saw a lot of girls leave his apartment in the middle of the night over the next few weeks, some disheveled, some clutching clothing articles, and some looking untouched and disgruntled. It was an infuriating habit he was picking up, and being his neighbor, it bothered her.

Not that she was hurt or anything. The sound of doors being thrown open at midnight and random girls parading in the hallways was loud and therefore kept her up. Again, she wasn't dissapointed in him or snubbed or even the tiniest bit jealous of them. At least she wouldn't have to do the metaphorical walk of shame across the city.

However, she couldn't help but notice that most of the people that left shared a lot of characteristics. Some were short, many had blue eyes, a lot had dyed hair, and there were the occasional few that possessed all three.

It didn't mean anything, because that would meant  _he_  thought they meant anything, and clearly he couldn't.

* * *

A couple mornings later, a petite woman with bright pink hair, blue-green eyes, and pale skin walked out Kim's door. She didn't appear to be too much older than Alix herself, though there was a big enough gap visible to the point where they wouldn't pass as twins. Cousins, maybe, but sisters was a little more doubtful.

The real Alix, who had come outside to go get groceries, bit her lip harshly. She immediately started walking the other way, because there was no way in hell that she was starting up a conversation with somebody who could have passed as her cousin and very possibly got  _involved_  with her infuriating neighbor.

As if realizing their similarities as well, the woman grabbed her arm.

"You're his neighbor, aren't you?" the woman gasped, smiling widely. The stranger extended her other hand. Alix, knowing that she was now obligated to talk to her, since it would be rude to shove her off and keep going down the hall, grudgingly took it, faking a grin.

"Hi, I'm Alix. You must have been with Kim. I'm sure it's lovely to meet you, but - " The woman started laughing hysterically, letting go of Alix's arm so she could chuckle. Alix really should have taken that as cue to run, but she was confused, and confusion made her curious. So, like an idiot, she wasted her chance to flee the scene. "Are you alright, or . . . Am I missing something?"

"No, it's just that - " She giggled again, pressing a hand to her mouth. "Sorry, it's just that this is just  _perfect._ Almost poetic, even." The stranger starting laughing again, trying to wheeze her way out of the fit while Alix stood awkwardly to the side. "I wasn't  _involved_  with him. At least, not in the way that you think. I mean, he met me at a bar - I just got divorced. My husband and I decided we were better off as friends. Wait, nope, I didn't tell you my name." She beamed once more. "I'm Roxanne. I'm twenty eight, recently single, and a realtor at the crack. Nice to meet you, Alix." Wearily, the befuddled college student nodded.

"Uh huh. So if you weren't with my annoying friend, what were you doing over there?" Roxanne smiled even wider, and Alix thought that she had to be either drunk or pumped with caffeine. There was no way that someone could act so cheerful and awake before 11 am.

"Actually, he did meet me at a bar. He said I reminded him of someone - wonder who." She paused and gave Alix a knowing look, which in turn made Alix rather uncomfortable.

"Erm, yes, continue."

"My husband and I divorced because he was still hung up on his college girlfriend. We really only got married in the first place because it was safe; both of our previous relationships crashed and burned, and we were best friends, so it was a marriage of comfort, really. We knew eachother. We trusted eachother. We didn't want to be alone and we didn't know if we could actually find anything else out there." She sighed a little, and once again, Alix wondered why she had to sit there. This was not a story you told to someone you met in a hallway mere minutes ago. "So, we've been separated for a few months now - still friends, or course - because we just realized that it was time to stop being married. Time to let other people back in, because we really were much better as friends. I went to a bar yesterday night to unwind, and he seemed nice enough, so I went back."

"I thought you said that you didn't . . . "

"Oh, no. He said he couldn't." Roxanne finished. "I asked if he was still hung up on someone, the way my husband was hung up on the girl he used to date, and he said it 'was a long story'. Men." The stranger rolled her eyes, and Alix smiled for real this time. Sure, this was weird, but there was something about Roxanne that was surprisingly genuine. "I told him I had all night, and I did. So he gave me the longest, vaguest explanation for his stupor as possible. Said the girl didn't want him around. I acted as councilor for the rest of the time and passed out on his couch." She looked Alix up and down, evaluating her. "It's almost funny, you being his neighbor of all people . . . I wonder. I doubt I'm the first to leave like this." Roxanne snapped her fingers and pulled a notepad and ballpoint pen out of her purse (Alix couldn't help but wonder who kept a notepad and pen on them at all times in this modern world of convenience) and hastily wrote down a number. "That's for my phone, by the way. If I'm right, he's pretty miserable without you. Call me when it's all worked out." With that, Roxanne nodded as if her work was done and started strolling leisurely down the hall, rounding down the stairs.

"Goodbye to you, too," she muttered, waving at the now empty spot where the stranger had stood. Starring at the door that lead to his apartment, she pocketed the note and began ascending the stairs herself.

She had wanted to go to the grocery store, after all. Now she simply had some more items to pick up.

* * *

"Kim? You better open up, you jerk," she shouted against the wood, hefting her remaining goods. Shopping was murder, the day had been gloomy, and now she was going to try making peace with the biggest idiot on the face of the earth.

Alix should really be getting a medal for this.

Inside, she heard something fall over in surprise - probably Kim - and the unmistakable sound of ceramics breaking. No doubt one of his randomly placed dishes - she  _told_  him that he had a dishwasher for a reason. The reason was so that she wouldn't startle him into destroying all of his things.

He really was lost without her, huh?

Then came the sound of feet practically sprinting to the door before he whipped it open, this time without the magical lock-opening flair.

"Alix?" he practically whispered, looking her up and down. "What are you doing here?" She grunted, shifting the dead-weight supplies in her arms.

"I have a bunch of stuff for making sandwiches, that disgusting protein drink you like, and a tub of vanilla ice cream, because you enjoy things that are boring and bland." Without really being invited in, she shoved past him and put the fixings on his counter. "Now you can actually eat instead of inviting random women to your house, rejecting them, and then subsisting off of leftovers and pizza. You're welcome." With something akin to wonderment, he collapsed against the wall.

"Why did you want to come over?" he managed again, which really was a repeat of the last question. She ignored him again.

"You really need to stop leaving dishes everywhere; I'm pretty sure one of your bowls just reached an early death," she sighed, looking around the apartment. The few times (okay, maybe the many times - she may have invaded his space more than she liked to admit) she had been over, it had never appeared this messy. Sure, Kim was the type of person to leave things everywhere and forget they were there, but it was never really messy like this, with shirts thrown haphazardly on the couch and a half eaten croissant on the windowsill and his keys buried beneath a bunch of papers. "Okay, I came in hopes of extending an olive branch, but now I think my purpose is more to make sure your apartment isn't a dump. We really need to start running a load of laundry."

"Al," he said seriously, grabbing her arm. "Really, what are you trying to do?" Breathing out, because clearly just starting to come over and dance around the issue wasn't going to be feasible, she began to explain.

"I just came to say that I'm sorry," she answered honestly, "because I miss hanging out with you and I was wrong. I know that you're not selfish or stupid or immature or messing with me, and I just got upset. I . . . I wanted to make things right." Alix bit her lip, because apologizing wasn't exactly her strong suit with him, and it felt like she had just exposed something rather embarrassing to the world.

"Yeah," he replied, blinking like he was coming out of a trance. "I mean, of course. But it's really your fault. I was an idiot and I didn't know how to fix stuff." He looked at the ceiling, and it was then that she realized that oh, Kim was just as embarrassed as she was, and just as miserable, if his dreary living conditions were any indication. "I thought," he mumbled, shuffling his feet, "that you didn't want me around anymore." The pink haired girl shook her head, because really, they were both the epitome of oblivious.

"I was actually going to come over and do this whole routine sans food about a week ago, but then I saw you bring home that blonde girl," she added, and Kim grew further red. He seemed pretty angry. "I thought that you wanted to forget me completely, actually. Out of curiosity, how many of them did you actually sleep with?"

He slumped to the couch.

"None," he muttered, looking ready to slap himself repeatedly. "I kinda was trying to forget you, but I couldn't. And I sent all of them home." He gazed up at her, and she realized with a start that yes, he was angry, but at himself. "What made you wonder that?"

"I talked to one of them. She looked - looks - like she could be an older cousin." He nodded slowly.

"Roxanne. She was nice," he affirmed, then directed his eyesight back to the ground. "God, Alix, I'm a complete moron. Are we going to be alright?" Alix glanced at him, in an utter stupor, and figured he had suffered enough.

"Oh, we'll be alright. Just eat your silly vanilla ice cream and take a shower. We need to clean up your apartment, because it's been invaded by Hurricane Katrina. Do you have  _any idea_  how all of it looks? We're fixing this tonight," she maintained, gesturing around the room with a tinge of disgust.

"Yes, ma'am." And if there was a small smile on his face, she chose to let it go.

"Whatever, dunce. Go clean yourself up." He did exactly as ordered for once.

* * *

She wouldn't say that they just forgot everything, because she  _knew_  they both felt guilty, but things did progress at a relatively normal pace again. Classes were good, grades were good, life was good, and so were they. However, their dynamic did take on some small differences.

Like the way that he would sometimes invite her over for breakfast as she would brew coffee, for instance, or how he randomly went out of his way to touch her - grabbing her hand, messing with her hair, and a bunch of other middle-school-crush things that she thought they would be above.

Instead, as a means of coping, they gladly pretended that what they were doing was in no way couple-y and that no stock should be put in any of it (but she knew, sometimes, that he was dead serious and she couldn't bring herself to complain).

Alix doesn't exactly mind, to her own surprise. At this point, she's just wondering when they're going to do anything more about it.

* * *

It's when she wakes up with his arms around her, the TV still blaring softly in the background, that she realizes that maybe normalcy is a little too much to hope for. She's too far in with him for that.

They started watching some Star Wars movies in lue of the new one, and frankly Alix had never really bothered with the franchise. It was just that sci-fi was never her thing, so she never felt the need to see it. However, Kim dared her five bucks that she wouldn't, and seeing as she never backed down from a dare (and honestly, it was more of an invitation than anything), she accepted.

They actually were - dare she say it - pretty interesting. Though she plot poked everything as a sign of unspoken rebellion, neither of them really cared. It was fun.

Then, of course, he casually draped an arm around her, and she let it slide just this once because she was having a good time. And, at some point, they must have nodded off, which makes sense, because she doesn't remember anything past the fifth film.

At first, Alix didn't know exactly how to feel about waking up next to him. She didn't see anything wrong with it, per say, but something felt weird. They hadn't ever spent the night in eachothers' apartments before this, and sleeping on a couch, despite what movies may tell you, is murder on you neck.

Yet at the same time, it wasn't exactly  _bad_. Sunlight was streaming through the windows, turning everything golden, and the room smelled like popcorn and something uniquely him. Also, her feet were usually freezing in the morning, no matter the weather, but not today. Kim was a virtual heater, so point for Alix.

Trying not to laugh because he definitely looked ridiculous in this position, sprawled out awkwardly on the couch, she shook him lightly.

"Kim, I need to get up for school. You need to get up for school. Class is still going on today," she said quietly. After another moment or two of this, he finally stirred.

"High school's boring, Mom," he mumbled, and this time she did laugh. Alix was blessed with the ability to be both a morning person and a night owl. Unfortunately for Kim, as she had already witnessed several times before, he wasn't either of those things.

"Yeah, but we still have courses, Kim, so get off the couch." At this point, she took the liberty of softly slapping his cheek, and he jolted up in a flash, promptly falling off the couch. "Morning, Kim."

"Wha - " he asked, yawning and glancing around his room. Then he saw the clock and his eyes went wide. "It's 9 am! Oh god!" In what was quite possibly the quickest acrobatic routine she had ever witnessed, he changed out his shirt and pants (he moved so fast she could have sworn that he blurred like Flash), slipped on shoes, grabbed his class papers, and snatched his wallet, bus pass, and phone off the coffee table. "This is one of the few days I actually have to be on campus - we have an in-class final!"

"Coat!" she called out to him as he was about to run out the door, because going outside in December without a jacket was idiotic. He owed her one.

"Thanks, Al!" he shouted, hastily pulling on a jacket and grabbing her shoulders. "You saved me from frostbite." He leaned down and kissed her forehead, which caused her to freeze up. "See you tonight! Lock up my apartment!" And just like that, he was gone, and she was trying to remember how to function again.

Alix was still learning how to act around him in their new, somehow more intimate version of normal. Freaking sneak-attack, out-of-the-blue endearing forehead caresses didn't exactly fit into her plan.

As she touched the spot on her head, though, where he had absentmindedly kissed her, she thought that maybe the plan could take a hike - things were pretty alright now.

* * *

Christmas had gone by all too quickly, it seemed, and now New Years was around the corner. Michelle, the sweet soul that she was, was throwing another party on New Years Eve at her place, and Alix felt obligated to go. Like before, Kim accompanied her, and this time she felt reasonably certain that they wouldn't get into a friendship-shaking fight.

Because she had absolutely no reason to attempt being overly fancy, she threw on a blue blouse, a pair of dark jeans, some ankle boots, and a thick jacket (that jacket would probably save her life later - New York winters were  _freezing_ , and it was honestly surprising that she didn't encounter a penguin on the way over).

As the time went by, she mingled, sipping sparkling grape juice because that stuff was amazing and nodding at old friends. Eventually her and Kim made their way over to Michelle's window, where, in the very corner, the New Years ball can be seen in the distance. She watched it, savoring a moment of calm, when he wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"What? I'm cold and you're warm," he protested, though Alix didn't exactly complain. Instead, she leaned back and rested her head on his chest, because she had a feeling she would be at this window for a while and holding her neck upright would probably cause a crick or something later (yes, this was the excuse she was going with this time, it's probably fine).

She traced lines in the frosty glass, drawing whatever she felt like, despite the fact that she was an awful artist. After a while, it evolved into a game of pictionary, and Kim would guess what she'd managed to create with a mild fascination. For all her ability (in sports, intelligence, and others), this was clearly not her strong suit, and occasionally he would bat her fingers away and try to make his own.

Alix didn't think he had a right to make fun of her doodles, though; he was even worse than her. When one classifies a straight line as a snake, they're in need of an art class.

Eventually, their quiet evening spent at the window approached midnight, and Alix realized something about this holiday she really should have remembered. Looking at the window as the ball dropped, then turning back around in his arms to gaze over at Michelle and the rest of the party goers, she approached a remote state of panic.

"Are you alright?" he asked with a frown, eyebrows furrowed. She gripped the collar of his coat with a sense of impending doom.

"You know what people do at midnight on New Years, right? That tradition?" she pressed, and his eyes widened with understanding.

"Oh." In the next five seconds of the countdown, his jaw set, as if he was building up to something. "Would you be okay with it, then?"

"What?"

" _That,_ " he emphasized. "You. Me. Kissing." Alix absolutely hated the way her heart did a happy sort of flip at the prospect.

"Yeah," she finally said softly, directing her gaze to the floor. "I trust you." And she did. That wasn't the problem.

The problem she had consistently had with being in a relationship with Kim was that it would mean no more excuses. No more 'isn't it cold out guys' to disguise the flush on her cheeks, no more 'I think I'm hungry's to explain stomach loops, no more 'you're an idiot's to mask her amusement. It would mean actually admitting that she liked him, that to some extent they had fallen too far in, and she didn't think she could ever go there with him. Because she's Alix Kubdel and he's  _Kim_ , and they argue all the time in their weird banter-y sort of way and they're far too stubborn and far too clashing and she would never know where she stood in the mix of all that. It all just seemed terribly, terribly complicated.

And great. Complicated but great. She's spent most of her life just trying to make someone of herself, though, and hiding her heart always seemed to be an unspoken part of that plan. Letting someone as infuriating and headstrong as  _him_  inside simply wasn't a good idea.

Well, no, he already weaseled his way in. But if she owned up to that, it would be like letting him in a second time. That was something worthy of belonging in nightmares.

"Would it mean anything to you?" he questioned, as if realizing this line of thinking for himself, and instead of answering, she turned her head back towards the ball. "Al. I'm serious."

"I know," she responded instantly, sighing a little because it was going to happen eventually. "I . . . yes, it would." Kim remained impassive for a split second, almost in shock, and she cursed her stupid shaking hands for already trembling.

"Well, I guess that's a relief," he finished, red starting to color his face. As the ball dropped and she shot him her most utterly confused look, he kissed her. Straight on the lips. No apologizing.

It wasn't exactly a friendly kiss, either. It was a full force, no going back, 'you'll kill me for this later so I might as well enjoy myself now' rush of emotion, and frankly all she could do was attempt to respond and try not to smile. It wasn't working, not while he was practically beaming against her lips and his hand had migrated to the base of her neck.

This was way better than she imagined.  _He_ was way better than she imagined.

When the athlete pulled away so they could both get air, she couldn't deny the fact that she was almost dissapointed.

"Happy New Years," she laughed slightly, not even minding that she sounded completely winded. It was a good day.

"Happy New Years, Alix," he replied, not moving his hand from behind her neck. He was grinning just as hard as he had been during their kiss, and she was fairly certain that she had a dopey smile of her own on at the moment. Straightening up, he looked at her with an almost authoritative power. "I like you. A lot. And this time I swear I am going to have a conniption fit if we just let this lie and pretend none of this ever happened." Within a split second, she bit her lip and wondered if she was even capable of going down that road, if she would even be able to handle labeling whatever this was as a relationship.

Then she realized that the answer was really all too simple.

"I like you too, you idiot," Alix said, hoping that this wasn't about to backfire, but it was about time that they both acted like reasonable adults and faced their issue. "And I don't think there's a snowflake's chance in hell of me forgetting about the last five minutes."

Kim almost appeared nervous when he instantly responded with, "So, does that mean you'd be willing to go out with me tomorrow night?"

"Um, yeah. Did you honestly think I'd say no?"

"Well then, can I kiss you again?"

"Not at all," she deadpanned, and he leaned in again with a grin.

She couldn't exactly complain.

* * *

Alix had naturally assumed that fate was playing some sort of cosmic game with her life when she became neighbors with one college student named Kim. She figured that it was a universal joke when she started slowly becoming his best friend again. But somewhere along the way, they made the game their own, and she's so glad that they did.

It turned out that being in love with Kim is a lot like being his friend in the first place; there's a lot of banter, a lot of compromises, and a lot of not-so-casual flirting (yes, she finally acknowledged that that's what it had been). It's not easy, but hey, she's never backed down from a challenge, and putting up with eachother is the biggest challenge of all.

At the end of the day, all she can say is that it's worth it, being in that relationship, and despite the many kinks they have to work out, she wouldn't have it any other way.

Alix can say this with some sort of certainty, given that the school year is done and she's been with that idiot for six months. They've developed a bit of a pattern over the last few weeks, and she can't even bring herself to regret a second of it. Recently they're in that phase where they can't be apart without getting bored, and after spending so much time together since they became neighbors, she doubts that phase is going away anytime soon.

He makes breakfast and she supervises out of fear he'll eventually set something on fire. It hasn't happened yet, but she's convinced it might, despite the fact that Kim accuses her of being 'paranoid'. He'll see who's paranoid when the smoke alarm inevitably goes off. They typically end up going to the gym for their usual hour of training, in which she proudly engages in banter and takes an immense deal of satisfaction when she catches him staring at her. After that, when she goes home, fumbling with the keys until he laughs and takes over (one of the perks of their relationship, Alix thinks), and showers, she spends exactly 3.5 seconds alone before walking back over. They waste time watching movies or crappily baking or talking about classes or even looking up listings on bigger apartments for some inexplicable reason (which may not be so inexplicable at all, if the way he's been talking about her moving in is any indication) until dinner time, at which point they either organize for her beloved Chinese takeout or scour his place for microwavable stuff or cooking supplies. A lot of ice cream is consumed following dinner, and Alix has the feeling that she should be getting sick of all the strawberry dessert she's been inhaling from his freezer, but she hasn't yet and doesn't think she will. And, after all that, their night usually ends with her trudging back next door or just crashing onto his bed with him, and the later happens a lot more often than she'd like to admit. She spends so much time over at his place that it's starting to smell like her apartment, which is kind of interesting. Not bad, because her room constantly smells like vanilla for some reason, but interesting, because it should be a sign of concern but it's not.

Also, a lot of witticisms and random make out sessions pop up throughout everything, which isn't half bad.

They might have become a little too organized and predictable when it comes to their daily routine, but so what? Alix is happy, Kim seemed pretty happy, and she's actually hoping for the best. He's good for her.

If this is what being in a relationship with Kim is like, Alix is more than willing to participate.

**Author's Note:**

> That was that. I'm sorry if it was OOC or something; like most of the stuff I'm just now posting on AO3, I did this a while ago and it wasn't at all planned out. It was purely me typing randomness and hoping it was good enough to be a concrete story, but I'm pretty okay with how it turned out. These two need more fics. 
> 
> Have a good day and be sure to check out some of my other fics. Thanks!


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